SWANSEA CITY midfielder Joe Allen is not trying to force a move to link up with former boss Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool.

Swansea City midfielder Joe Allen is not trying to force a move to link up with former boss Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool.

That’s the pledge from Allen’s agent, Glenn Corcoran, who has dismissed reports Allen has told Swansea he wants to leave.

One London-based newspaper suggested yesterday Allen is pushing for a chance to link up with Rodgers at Anfield and had asked Swansea not to stand in his way.

Corcoran refused to comment at length about the situation, but firmly denied Allen was trying to engineer a move to Liverpool, telling the WalesOnline: “Joe has not handed in a transfer request of any kind.”

Swansea were also last night insisting there has been no contact from Liverpool regarding the highly-rated 22-year-old.

Speculation linking Allen with Liverpool has grown again this week despite an agreement between the Merseyside giants and Swansea preventing Rodgers returning to raid his old club for 12 months.

They have a written agreement with Liverpool stopping Rodgers from bidding for any Swansea player for a year – unless they become available on the market.

Swansea could opt to back down on the agreement should the situation demand, although it is clear they are in no mood to let Allen go cheaply, or otherwise.

Allen signed a new four-year contract with Swansea in August and some Liberty sources have suggested they could demand as much as £15m before allowing him to leave.

The Swansea board regard the Wales international as one of their prize assets having joined the club at the age of nine and been developed into a Premier League player.

He enjoyed an excellent debut campaign in the top flight under Rodgers last season, making 37 appearances as the Swans finished 11th in the Premier League.

Rodgers has gone on record in the past stating his faith in Allen as a top-four player and it would be of no surprise that the Northern Irishman would welcome the chance to help him with his rebuilding work at Anfield.

But transfer talk appears premature with Allen currently away with the Team GB squad at the Olympics and yet to meet new Swansea manager Michael Laudrup, the Dane having already stated his admiration for the playmaker.

Laudrup faces being without Allen until 48 hours before the start of the new Premier League season on August 18 if Team GB reach the semi-final stage of the Olympic tournament.

Allen would finish his Team GB duty and link straight up with the Wales’ squad for their friendly against Bosnia-Herzegovina on August 15, returning two days before Swansea’s clash with QPR at Loftus Road.

Laudrup has been working hard to add to his Swansea squad and was yesterday given permission to open talks with Spanish midfielder Michu after having a bid of 2m accepted by Rayo Vallecano.

Rayo have confirmed they have accepted Swansea’s offer and the goal-scoring midfielder, full name Miguel Pérez Cuesta, is expected to fly to the Liberty Stadium for talks this week ahead of Swansea’s pre-season trip to America.

Manchester United and Liverpool have been linked with the 26-year-old, but Swansea look to have won the race to sign the sought-after player.

He was one of the top scorers in La Liga last season, netting 15 goals from midfield despite playing in a struggling Rayo side who narrowly avoided relegation.

Spanish La Liga outfit Seville had also made a bid for the midfielder, but he looks destined for a move to the Premier League with Swansea.

Rayo are being forced to sell Michu to ease the club’s deep financial problems, which lead to several players threatening to walk out last season in a row over unpaid wages and bonuses.

Former player Paco Jemez has recently been appointed manager at Rayo following the departure of Jose Ramon Sandoval, who left despite saving the club from relegation last season.

Michu would become Laudrup’s third signing having secured Jonathan de Guzman on a season-long loan deal from Villarreal and the £2m transfer of Genoa centre-back Chico.

Laudrup is expected to bring in at least one more player, with a new striker a priority, and possibly before the club fly out to America next week.

Swansea play a friendly against Welsh Premier League side Port Talbot Town on Saturday before leaving for a 10-day tour of America which includes three games against MLS sides Colorado Rapids (July 24), Ventura County Fusion (July) and San Jose Earthquakes (July 31).

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